Falling in Louvre
by Flying Mandrakes
Summary: Marinette and her class have been blessed with a unique weekend stay at The Louvre, unfortunately thanks to Chloe and her father. Marinette and Adrien become closer but so do Mari and Nathaniel. However, when an akuma attack occurs when neither Mari or Adrienne are able to transform, they proceed to make excuses for their departure.
1. Morning

**Hi guys! So this is my first ever fanfiction. So please comment and favorite if you like it! I'll try to update whenever I can! I appreciate any support!- Poppy**

Marinette was just getting out the shower when she got a message from Alya asking if she can bring croissants since most likely nobody thought about breakfast.

"Yeah sure! I'll even throw in some Madeleine's but don't tell Chloe ;)" she replied.

Marinette was already half dressed when Alya decided to respond.

"You have my word, girl. Now hurry up, I'm already outside!"

Marinette groaned at her friends impatience and proceeded to dry her hair quickly before fixing it into two pigtails. Finally she grabbed her weekend bag and ran downstairs.

"Bye Papa! Tell mom I said I'll miss her when she gets back!" Marinette said to her dad as she gave him a quick hug.

"Alright I will. Remember to be safe Marinette! Love you!"

"Love you too papa!" As she was about to head out the door, she quickly remembered something important.

"Oh I almost forgot! Hey pops, do you mind throwing in some pastries for the class? Just as a last minute surprise and a thank you for inviting me? Doesn't have to be the fresh ones, maybe the ones we may have to throw out soon?" Marinette was hesitant when asking her father for favors like these, especially when her family's income relies on the bakery business.

"Well of course Marinette!" Her father boomed, "You have a small class so here are a few bags for I think, about two to three croissants a person?"

"Wow thanks dad, but isn't that too much?"

"Maybe. But also here are some other stuff we were going to throw out anyway. Just don't tell your class that. They're still fresh of course, but not for bakery standards."

"Thank you pops! You're the best ever!" Marinette yelled as she jumped into her fathers bulky arms. "I'll see you Tuesday. No later."

"Have fun, honey."

"Bye!" Finally, Marinette ran outside and almost ran into Alya.

"Oh my gosh, Alya! I am so excited! Isn't this gonna be great!" Marinette immediately started jumping up and down on her friend with an extreme adrenaline rush.

"Calm down, Mari. It's only for three days and it's not like Adrien is gonna be there. Oh that's right he is!" And like that, Marinette began to hyperventilate with excitement at the many scenarios playing in her head.

"But of course, nothing will happen other than an incoherent exchange of words. How can I be so silly?" Teased Alya. Immediately Marinette calmed down enough to walk back at a normal pace

"Yeah okay. Well I still can't believe we're gonna actually do this though. A weekend at the Louvre? I mean, it's no camping trip in the woods but it's still pretty great." Marinette was at first intrigued when somebody suggested a a camping trip as their yearly class trip. She had always wanted to go camping, but her parents never really saw a good time for it.

"Yeah I know, it's crazy! And even crazier that we have Sabrina to thank for no teacher supervision." Alya challenged her friends excitement. "I still find it even more unbelievable that you managed to pull this off, so the real hats off goes to you class rep!"

Marinette laughed and thanked her deputy. A camping trip in the woods didn't come through, but an educational weekend stay at The Louvre did. And it really wasn't thanks to Marinette, but more to the mayor and Ladybug. She refused to thank Chloe, however, so they left her out.

When they arrived at the museum, the entire class was already there. More noticeably, Adrien and Nino were chatting with Kim and Mylene while still holding their bags. Chloe on the other hand, was sitting on a 4 foot suitcase the color of a Sunburned Tikki. Sabrina was with her dad having a completely normal father-daughter conversation. She looked very innocent with an undisturbed persona that set Marinette off a beat.

"Hey guys!" Alya said almost distantly. It didn't take Marinette long to notice that Alya managed to steer their way to Nino and Adrien.

"Hey Alya! Hey Marinette!" Chimed Mylene. "Didn't think the mastermind behind this would be late, but then again. Didn't expect anything else."

"Oh sorry. I got distracted with my shower and packing." Marinette started. "I probably would've even forgotten why I was showering if Alya hadn't asked if I could bring treats from my dads bakery." She then held up the various bags of mouth-watering pastries for the greedy class of sweet tooth's to see. "Am I forgiven?" She teased.

"Nice Marinette! I really enjoy your dads baked goods. They're truly Paris's best," Adrien chimed. "So thanks!"

Alya was sure Marinette was gonna pass out so she scooted a bit closer to her blushing damsel-in-distress.

"Oh-uh. Thank you? I mean thank you!" She bellowed to all of innocent Paris. "Thanks," she whispered in shame. She looked to Alya for some help.

"But remember. Don't tell Chloe or Sabrina. It would be a shame to feed the devil sugar," Alya laughed at her clever analogy and the rest of the class nodded in understanding as they retreated to their previous conversations.

Just as Alya started to engage herself in full girlfriend mode with Nino, Adrien decided to try small talk with the other third wheel.

"So Marinette. I just wanted to thank you for trying your hardest to get our class up here." Adrien smiled with the perfect amount of sincerity that made Marinette lose her train of thought.

"Oh, it's a problem! I mean no problem!" Marinette was thinking only two things: _the love of my life appreciates me; Jesus Christ Mari, stop stumbling like a drunk elephant in the middle of London!_

Adrien gave a small laugh and was about to continue when a woman's voice interrupted. They both looked up to see a gray haired lady standing at about the height of a Marinette but with a very determined face.

"Good morning, students. Before I begin, I'd like to remind you that this privilege of participating in a overnight trip at The Louvre is no ordinary thing and you have only two people to thank for that; The Mayor and his daughter, Chloe Bourgeois," at this everybody stole glances and concerned looks from eachother. Most of them directed at Marinette, who was to busy admiring Adrienne's leaking curls to notice anything else at the moment.

"Furthermore, there are rules. On the first day, which is today, you'll be taken to the courtyard to be lectured on the history of The Louvre. That is where you'll be for the remaining of today. Afterwards, when The Louvre is closed at 6, you'll be taken back inside where you'll be given further instructions regarding your sleeping arrangements."

The woman kept talking for a while longer but Marinette was pulled aside while she was admiring the radiating sun of Adrienne's face.

"Look. You and I already know the sleeping arrangements. You and me. Nino and Adrienne. But I'm asking if it would be at least okay to have our tent next to theirs. It is? Okay thanks Marinette!" Even though Marinette never agreed to anything, she was more concerned as to why Alya felt the need to warn her about her clever scheme.

Whatever the case, she brushed it off and followed her to the courtyard.

 **Okay so I am writing this in the near future. It has been brought to my attention that my darn auto correct has been replacing 'Adrien' with 'Adrienne'. This is embarrassing. But I managed to fix it at the start of chapter five, so however confusing my typo has made some people I apologize. But thanks for everybody's support!**


	2. Afternoon

The employees at The Louvre had been talking all morning and after lunch, and Marinette simply had enough. She leaned in until she felt the tickle of her friends thick hair.

"Alya, as the main admin of the Ladyblog, what is the possibility that the main speaker has been akumatized by the boredom of his job and his power is to bore people to death? Because, in that case, you need to send an urgent message to the people of Paris." Marinette only hoped what she said was below a whisper, because soon enough people other than Alya were giving her giddy smiles.

"Well, nobody bored of their job looks that happy while doing it," Alya yawned, "Maybe instead of being the main victim, he's a victim of the actual victim. You see where I'm getting at?" Alya retreated back in quiet laughter at her best friends confusion. Thankfully, a tap on her shoulder interrupted what would've been Marinettes self-shame in not understanding.

"Hey guys, do you wanna see what I'm working on?" Marinette turned around to see a blushing ginger holding back an awkward smile. His hand was in the air from tapping Marinettes shoulder.

"I guess boredom really is inspiring," Nathaneel chuckled.

"Sure, Nathaneel. Entertain us!" Alya whispered. She, along with everyone in the class, was well aware of his crush on Marinette. Most of the students knew it never really disappeared, especially when he realized that he was only saved due to Marinette. Well, everybody knew except Marinette herself.

Nathaneel proudly held up his iPad to showcase his quick doodles, making sure to pay close attention to the bluenettes reaction.

"Wow, Nathaneel. Very intriguing," Alya commented. Her comment forced his attention away from Marinette. He could tell she was confused by his comics and was trying to be nice. But Alya was known for not being able to hide her feelings. Instead, he sighed in disappointment, and accepted her confusion as defeat.

He was about to put back his iPad when he heard Alya furiously whispering to Marinette to hold it in. The disappointed ginger looked up to see what was troubling Marinette.

She was doubling over, her hands covering her mouth to hold back the potentially loud noise. Her face was as red as Nathaneels hair, except it looked more like she swallowed a cup of salt on accident, thinking it was sugar.

I think I'm gonna cry, thought Nathaneel, she's laughing at it.

"Marinette, you okay?" She turned her red face to the owner of the voice, Adrien. Her face only got redder, Nathaneel noticed. The blonde model scooted closer to the threesome to see why the quietest girl in class was about to be the loudest. Immediately, he understood why.

When Marinette noticed that Adrien was also struggling to hold back laughter, she calmed down. She took deep breaths and closed her eyes, letting Adrien suffer alone. Now and then, a few chuckles escaped her but quickly went away when Adriens laugh synced with hers. To keep herself from overexposing the group she turned to the confused and sad looking redhead. Poor kid, she thought, he must be thinking we're making fun of him.

"Wow Nathaneel, you really have a talent for drawing. Especially comics." Marinette reassured. "Thanks to that, I'm no longer regretting coming here at all. That definitely made my day."

Nathaneel let out a sigh of relief. I forgot my comic was supposed to be funny, he laughed to himself.

"Thanks Mari, er- nette." He let out a toothy smile, in the hope of letting his slip at her name not be noticed. Instead, he had better luck distracting her from the fact that the color of his face matched his hair, when he noticed her giggle at her nickname.

"It's fine," she reassured. "Mari or Marinette. Their both my name, go with whatever you like best!"

"Oh okay. Thanks, Mari?" Nathaneel awkwardly chuckled trying to keep his eyes away from hers. He had this subconscious fear that she'd see the fear in his eyes. But when he looked up, he only saw her pigtails bounce as she nodded in confirmation of her new nickname.

Then he got bold.

"Well in that case," he closed his eyes not wanting anything to stop him from speaking. "You can call me Nath!" He proudly mumbled to the girl of his affections. He knew Marinette since he could remember. They have always been in the same class, and he was never bothered by it. He always felt some sort of connection to her, even though she barely noticed him. All he knew was, she could draw just like him. He discovered this when he caught her doodling in class once. When she caught him watching, he remembered her face reddening and immediately hiding her journal. She was shy and awkward, just like him. That same day was the end of his friendship aspiring intentions towards her.

Marinette giggled. "Sure thing, Nat!" She added, before turning her attention back to the history of the Louvre. Now that she thought about it, why hasn't she ever spent real time with Nathaneel? She always thought of him as a brother, but now she's starting to realize that he could've easily been her best friend if Alya hadn't come into the picture.

We're both so alike, she realized. Although, she knew it'll be hard to adjust calling Nathaneel Nat , she was glad that she furthered another relationship with a classmate.

Have to give him credit, that comic of Ladybug and Cat Noir was so accurate it was funny, she recalled. He really does have a future in comics.

An hour later the lecture finally ended and Marinette had to help the sleepy Alya up.

"Hey boo. Remember our agreement?" Alya had dozed off a bit before and now stumbled towards her boyfriend. The two started to follow the group in their own discussion about said agreement.

"So I guess it's just us then," Marinette jumped up in fear when she realized it was true. She turned her head to the side to acknowledge the perfectly sculpted, blonde cookie.

"Uh yeah sure!" She stated in agreement. She used her arms to motion towards the group and started to move out, expecting Adrienne to catch on. Eventually he did, and he walked by a smiling doll.

"So, how do you think the trip is so far?" Adrienne asked.

"Um- well it's -pretty fun actually!" She lied, not wanting him to know how boring it really was. Her impression on him was way more important to her than the truth right now. But before she can see his expression she felt an unfamiliar vibration in her pocket. Being so focused on her conversation with Adrienne, it made her jump causing her to trip over a tree branch, landing face first onto the dirt.

"Marinette! Are you okay?" Before she knew it, Adrienne's arms were pulling her body from the devious Earth.

"Nobody saw that, right?" Marinette asked as if in a delusion. She was shaking from embarrassment, and refused to open her eyes as if keeping them closed dulled the pain of her stupidity.

Adrienne laughed, "Only me," he hasn't yet noticed her blush under the dirt caking her face. "Luckily we're falling behind."

Marinette quickly wiped away at the dirt covering her eyes, relieving her sense of sight. She looked down, not yet ready to face the humiliation of tripping in mud in front of the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

She felt like she was about to cry, and her face was beginning to show signs of potential tears. Deciding that ignoring her hot face would help hold back the tears, she kept her head down at the smudged mud. The first thing she saw, was the object of her scare.

She leaned down and picked up her cell phone. After using her sleeve to wipe at the screen she noticed an email she had received. No wonder I got scared, she thought, nobody sends emails anymore unless it's for a large attachment. She sled the notification open.

Whatever it is, don't get mad and yell at the top of your lungs. You only have yourself to blame for your stupid clumsiness. After her inner pip talk was finished, she grunted, and read the email to herself.

On the bottom was an attachment. She clicked on the attachment and an enlarged photo of familiar characters filled her screen. She closed it quickly and read what the emailer wrote.

"Hope it'll make you laugh the second time- Nat." Opening the photo again, she was able to shrink the original image, to read the speech bubbles coming from the characters.

"Marinette, should we keep going? Are you alright?" Marinette had completely forgotten the person she was with and when she remembered, she ignored his concern. Instead, she started to cry. Tears were rolling down her muddy face, quickly cleaning away her mistakes and for once, her face wasn't red because of Adrienne. In fact, he only made her laugh harder.

She laughed at the pure wit and simplicity of the comic, and she laughed at tripping over a silly email. She laughed at Nathaneels nickname, and she laughed at Adrienne's stupid face. She felt bad for him, he was missing out on a lot.

The bluenette looked back at the comic. How could this naive blonde ever understand how brilliant this comic is? She thought, you laughed because it was hypothetical and made a nice joke. I laughed because I expect this to happen one day.

She marveled at the detail of Ladybugs yo-yo as it hit Cat Noir in the head. She cried at the very real smirk she had for punishing her kitty. And she laughed at Cat's ignorance to the fact any of his attempts at flirting was pathetic and unrequited. The fact that it all happened at a bar, filled with lonely Louvre lecturers only enhanced the humor. And Marinette simply could not get enough.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" Suddenly she remembered the blonde supermodel standing next to her. She also remembered the amount of dirt on her clothes.

"I'm fine! Thanks for worrying, Adrienne!" She stated. She closed her email after favoriting Nathaneels and saving the photo. She reminded herself to print it out later, and hang it up on her wall. After she moved around some of Adrienne's pictures of course.

She looked back up at the blonde. She really has no idea what it is that's about to get into her, but she accepted it. "Anyways, back to your earlier question. Man, this day was dead awful. That has to have been the most boring lecture ever!" At this Adrienne let out a swinging laugh that anybody could tell was genuine due to the sheer crinkles aligning his face. Normally, Marinette would've lost her train of thought staring at those laugh crinkles. Instead, she continued. "I mean, we already know half that stuff. It was a waste of a perfectly good day!" Her boredom was transitioning into a courageous humor she never felt before, and honestly, it gave her stomach a weird feeling.

"I completely agree. Nino fell asleep half way through, and I had to wake him up. It was so embarrassing!" Adrienne yelled.

"I know right! Alya did the exact same thing! Honestly, those two should date and fall asleep on eachother instead next time!" At this, they both laughed in sync forcing a few heads to turn around. Marinette didn't even notice. She was perfectly fine letting Ladybug interfere.


	3. Goodnight Part 1

A/N: I should probably let you know that I won't be updating for a week because I will be away at Music camp! Yes. I have not practiced for my audition! So wish me luck! And I'll update as soon as I can once I return!- Poppy

The first thing both Marinette and Adrienne did when they were let inside the Louvre, was rush to the bathroom. Marinette spent most of her time inside scrubbing off the hardening mud. A bunch of the girls teased her about her inability to grasp the concept of walking. Marinette's last bit of confidence was released when she grabbed a bunch of the friendly mud and tossed it at her friends, inducing a mud fight as the only predator. After everybody was dressed for the night, they all grouped at the bathroom exit, completely dripping in water and the occasional bit of dirt.

Once in the main hall, Marinette took a long minute to marvel at how different the museum looked when it was empty. The great walls were bare and quiet, even with the numerous paintings smothering them. The ceiling was a claustrophobic mansion towering over the insignificant creatures, and the floor was scathed as her classmates began to unroll their sleeping bags.

She waved at Adrienne, who was exiting the bathroom and smiling back.

"Adrikens!" Chloe's immature high pitched voice began to grow near, and not wanting to see what's to become, she walked to where Alya was at.

"What is it, Chloe?" Adrien interrogated. His day was going quite well so far, especially after wiping off the residue of Marinettes clumsiness. The last thing he wanted was a queen bees sting.

"Just wanted to remind you that me and Sabrina will be sitting over there! So if you want to go ahead an lay out your sleeping bag I'll have Sabrina help you!" Chloe gestured to the girl struggling to unroll a mattress. "Oh and I wanted to apologize for that girl, Marinette. She is so inconsiderate, isn't she? I mean, how could she throw dirt all over you, how rude!"

"No thanks Chloe. I already planned on spending the night with Nino. And also, she's actually very nice and I never had more fun walking down a park So good night!" Adrienne attempted to shove Chloe off with respect while walking away from her with dignity, leaving an arguing blonde behind.

He found Nino in the opposite side of the room in a small corner.

"Hey dude. Sorry, Chloe." Nino nodded in understanding the one worded excuse.

"Well don't just stand there! Lay out your sleeping bag right next to Marinettes's! So you'll be by your best friend and away from my girlfriend!" Adrienne laughed as Ninos giddy tone immediately became accusatory. Then he began to lay out his baby blue fabric.

"Guess we're roommates then," Adrienne joked.

"Oh. Haha, sure!" Marinette suddenly understood Alya's potential scheme from before. Actually, now Nino is in on it. Whatever bravery she had before, went away when Adrienne gave her a forgiving smile.

"Alright now, this is camping y'all!" Alya exclaimed. The four were gathered in a crooked circle where toes were aligned and heads were being bumped. But no alterations to the shape was made.

"Alright, now that everybody is all set for bed. I'll give you the rules for the night and the instructions for the next day." At this, the foursome rolled their eyes at each other and Alya gestured for Marinette to lean her head in. She began to whisper in the bluenettes ear.

"You know, if you have any nightmares tonight, Nino and I won't be the ones waking up to comfort you," she smirked. "We have it all planned out. About an hour after we sleep, start squirming and accidentally hit Adrienne a bit." Marinette looked at the psycho in front of her and circled her lips into a big, silent "NO!"

"I'm just messing with you," Alya admitted. "But I won't hold it against you if something similar happens in the night."

"Alya, no. I will not. No. I can't even act myself around him, and you want me to perform a skit in front of him," her face reddened and her mind was baffled at Alya's joke.

"That'll be all kids. Goodnight," the stern woman finally dismissed the class and walked away. Immediately after her departure, Marinette noticed Sabrina's father, including some of his coworkers, stationed at front. She let out a loud sigh, remembering the terrible fight with Robocop and her relief when she noticed that his promotion wasn't temporary.

"Looks like there won't be any sleeping anytime soon," Adrienne said after the hall was erupted in the chatter of his classmates. He then noticed a yellow spot on the other side of the room staring down his group. He gave the yellow spot a friendly wave, more out of pity than anything else.

"Hey I got an idea!" Alya prompted. Adrienne already knew Alya was the type for late night games and adventures. Which is mostly why he had no problem sleeping in the same area as her and Marinette. However, he grew nervous when he noticed her best best friends face began to evolve into a look of worry. If Alya's best friend was scared, then he should be terrified and ready to jump off a cliff. He looked to Nino for a similar reaction, instead he had an intrigued smile.

"Alright, Alya! Hit us with your best!" Said the young DJ. Nino looked at Adrienne and Mari, and laughed to himself when saw them both mouthing "no" with loud hand gestures. I'm going to enjoy this, he thought.

"Truth or Dare!" She screeched. Marinette thought she was about to faint. "I've always wanted to play this with somebody my age, and nows the chance," she added.

 _Oh, that's not bad_ , thought Adrienne _. I thought it was going to be something weird like strip poker._

"Oh okay," he commented. _I mean, Alya's crazy, but she's friends with one of the awkwardest girls in class. She understands boundaries. Right?_

Marinette on the other hand, immediately protested. "How about we not! Look, I brought a deck of cards!" She was desperate to not go along with any of Alyas games, especially anything that requires the truth. Except, Alya snatched the cards and hid them inside her sleeping bag.

"Truth or dare, or Spin the Bottle," Alya threatened. "Your pick, Mari." Alya knew the game she was playing, and she understood Marinettes comfort zones very well.

Adrienne leaned in closer to his neighboring sleeper. "Come on, Marinette. Can't be that bad, right?" He felt that reassuring the girl was the only to keep him from kissing Nino.

Finally, Marinette let out a sigh of surrender and the other three cheered at her bravery. "As long as it's just us four then sure," Marinette admitted.

"I was going to invite the other chicks, but as a guardian of your barrier I should probably keep it guarded amongst the four of us." Marinette let out a sigh of relief at Alya's rare sense of boundaries.

"But, since no one else will be joining, you ask the first question. And it cannot be me!"

"But why not!"

"That's my one condition if no one else will be joining us," Alya heaved her chest forward in victory.

"Oh, alright. I guess then theres only Nino," Marinette noticed.

"I'm your boy Mari!" Nino seemed alright by her comment. Adrienne on the other hand, looked at her in complete offense. But either she refused to acknowledge his presence, or she legitamentley forgot he was there.

"Well, I guess. Um-" it was obvious that Marinette was completely new to this game.

"First, you have to ask him truth or dare, Mari," Adrienne stammered, a bit more demanding than his usual composure.

"Um. Right. Truth or dare, Nino?" There was no immediate response. The boy was caught off guard when Adrienne spoke. He felt like his mouth was glued shut and he grew helpless when his attempt to stare daggers at the blonde got no response. He looked sideways for support from his girlfriend, but Alya was only wide eyed and nudging Marinette. _Poor girl_ , Nino thought. His shocked face quickly crunched together to show his pity for Mari. _She looks like she's about to cry tears that are as red as her face._

 _Damn, Adrienne,_ Alya thought. _Not so happy-go-lucky today, are we?_

Luckily, Alya came to the rescue. "Nino! The girl asked you a question!" Nino jumped back, taken aback by Alya's demand.

"Oh right! Truth!" Out of instinct, the now awkward couple began to laugh hoping to break the ice.

 _Wow_ , thought Marinette, _I've never seen Alya or Nino so caught off guard. I must've really screwed up._ She clutched her eyes together hoping the whole world would disappear. Instead, she resulted to pinching her thigh and refusing to face the group. _I'm such an idiot, how could I have completely denied his existence when I've been obsessed with it the entire year! Now he really does hate-_ herthoughts were interrupted by forced laughter. She felt an arm around her that made her scurry out of her sleeping bag.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you, but are you going to speak up anytime soon, Mari? Or should I take your turn, because there's a lot I kind of want to ask Nino," Adrienne beamed at Marinette from the side. He removed his arm from the petite girl and proceeded to laugh at his friends shock. _I should probably watch myself from now on, he thought to himself. I might have overreacted. But I don't know why, it's_ _not like I'm not used to being ignored._

"Oh. Of course! I don't really ask anything! I mean I don't really want to. I mean I don't know what I would ask him!" Marinette finally stuttered.

"Thanks, Mari," and the golden-haired boy turned his attention from the blushing doll to the now frightened Bubbler.

Marinette nodded, and she smiled as the knots in her stomach began to untangle, only to entwine once more. _Wait_ , she realized. _When did he start calling me, Mari?_ For the first time since they met she looked Adrienne square in the face without admiring his looks. _What is going on?_ She asked herself.


	4. Goodnight Part 2

**A/N: Quick warning- I will not update for a whole week as I will be away at music camp! But here is something for me to say farewell to and get ready for some Adrinette!**

Marinette was holding her stomach as she fell forward, a red smile staining her face.

"Are you serious, Alya? Why have you never told me this?"

"There was never a reason to," she commented. "And I expect zipped lips from all three of you," Alya's threatening face only made Nino, Adrienne and Marinette laugh harder.

 _This actually isn't that bad,_ Marinette thought. _I'm glad I was forced to do this._ She now realized that she was worried for nothing. In fact, the biggest secret she spilled was that when she spent too much money on fabrics and materials, sometimes she went dumpster diving.

In fact, most of the truth or dares were absolutely ridiculous, and only a few were serious. Nino admitted that he didn't always like Adrienne when they first met. Alya admitted that some of her Ladybug theories are actually random stories with no real thought put into it. She only created them to keep the ladyblog updated. As for Adrienne, he let spill his biggest secret. Something he felt he should finally tell somebody to get it off his back.

"Adrienne, truth or dare? And stop picking dares dude!" Nino begged. Adrienne was the one person not too scared to choose a dare. He'd already slipped Kim's pillow from under him, played with Marinettes pigtails (courtesy of Nino, surprisingly) and had a major stare down with Marinette as well (courtesy of Alyas funny bone).

"Sure thing, Bubbler! Truth away!" He giddily replied.

"What were your initial thoughts of Chloe when you first met when the two of you were younger?" This didn't surprise Adrienne. Every time Adrienne chose truth from Nino, it was alway about Chloe's younger self. Which is why he opted for the dares. Before, he openly admitted that she was nicer but still spoiled. Marinette agreed, expecting nothing else from the annoying, yellow blob.

"Is it too late for dare?" Asked Adrienne. He really did not plan on going into those details.

Nino only gave Adrienne a shove, "Come on, dude! Don't chicken out now!" Even Alya gave him a minor slap on the forehead. As a result, he turned to Marinette for help.

"I think Mari has had enough listening to silly stories about her arch nemesis," he pointed out. Adrienne didn't know what gave him the idea to start calling Marinette by her nickname. Probably, when she gave Nathaneel permission to use it. He only knew that whenever he called her Mari, she blushed very deeply, and even the biggest Ladybug admirer had to admit it was adorable. So he kept at it.

"Actually, I'm kind of interested," suddenly Marinette wasn't so adorable to Adrienne anymore. Even though she kept her head down, her request was perfectly audible.

Adrienne sighed in defeat. "Very well then," he said. "I guess I should probably obey the rules." And he spoke further about his initial feelings towards Chloe. As he spoke, he tried to avoid the changing expressions of his friends. Nino looked so disgusted by his best friend that it almost stopped him from speaking. Except, Alya looked so intrigued by Adrienne's secret that he would've felt bad if he stopped. The poor girl was going to blow up from excitement and laughter. Well, there goes my whole friend group, Adrienne thought.

When he finally finished, Alya and Nino's reaction were very clear to him. But not Marinette's. When he decided to glance at one of his main listeners while he was speaking, he couldn't see her face. He hadn't noticed when she had done it, but her pigtails were let loose and her hair hung over her shoulders, shielding her face from Adrienne. He wondered if it was intentional and she was attempting to hide her feelings of betrayal from him. When he noticed her very posture, and how it was turned away from him, he decided to quickly finish the truth.

"Well, whatever happened back then it doesn't matter now, because I have never despised anybody more in my life," he laughed. So did Alya, who almost killed herself from the lack of oxygen. Adrienne noticed that she pulled Marinette close to her, as if shielding her newborn child from violent street behavior.

"Dude," Nino slurred the word as if still caught in a trance of disgust. "I can't believe you used to have a crush on her. Even if it was just for a month or two."

"It was when we just met, okay? Besides, that crush is evidence that your subconscious jumps to conclusions when lonely," he defended. "I meant it when I said that I now dislike her. Honestly, I'm glad I came to this school to meet actual friends like the three of you. Now that I think of it, Chloe was just the only thing that kept me from rotting alone. She's the black plague of humanity, right Marinette?" Adrienne couldn't believe he was being so upfront about his true feelings for Chloe. But if it meant that Marinette would stop being so shy, then he was okay with it.

Alya shoved the girl face-forward, and a blue bed head was what Adrienne was confronted with. He smiled a bit at her, hoping that his friendliness came across to her.

"Uh, yeah she is," the reddening girl said. "I can understand why you had a crush on her though," she said. At this, the three teens closed their mouths and faced Marinette with ferocious seriousness. "I mean, when I was younger I was alone most of the time at school. Before Alya came of course." Alyas frozen expression nodded at the acknowledgment. Is Marinette actually about to open up? They all thought simultaneously. However nobody was more shocked than Adrienne.

"Which is why I am so nice to Nathaneel nowadays. Even though it might encourage his crush a bit," that was the moment when Alya's face widened in pure horror and gave away her bug eyes to an equally despairing Nino. The couple read each other's expression like running water. _She actually knows that his crush still exists? This is the most conceited she's ever been! This is good, right?_

"Mainly because, I've had a small, tiny little crush on him a long time ago too," Marinette admitted. "But it's mostly gone, so yeah. I completely understand Adrien, so I guess we're even?" _Whatever that meant,_ Marinette said to herself. She was mostly talking about the redhead for herself, which most likely explains why her sentences were complete and understandable. She needed to assure herself that Adrienne's ancient crush on Chloe is just like her old crush on Nath. A moment of desperation and forgotten. However, she wasn't fully convinced.

She finally looked up at the three Truth or Dare contestants. Nino was nodding his head in understanding, attempting to hide his shock. Alya quickly recovered after Marinette finished and was once again holding back laughter, her eyes centered on the blonde across from her. _Best day ever,_ she finally decided.

As for Adrienne, Marinette never thought she'd see Adrienne's face so red and hidden. It almost made her laugh, except Alya stabbed her shoulder forcing her to hold it back.

"You go, you two! Open up to the Gods," Alya murmured. Marinette suddenly regretted opening up about her first crush.

"If it makes you feel any better, Marinette. You and Nathaneel probably would've been a cute couple. Cuter than Adrienne and Chloe that's for sure," Nino joked. Adrienne began to look a bit insecure to the rest of the group and hid himself under his sleeping bag. Alya and Nino traded chuckles and winks, while Marinette and Adrienne exchanged feelings of discomfort and empathy.

"Hey guys," came a distant weep. "When do you plan on sleeping?" Alya and Nino both decided to address the voice.

"Sorry Juleka,"

"We're turning in right now," Nino stated. although they were in the far corner, a few classmates were in talking distance such as Juleka and Rose.

"Well on that bright note, see you guys tomorrow morning with some awaiting croissants!" Yawned Alya. She was glad Juleka reminding them of the time, her eyelids were already drooping after the excitement of Marinettes and Adriens truths have passed. "Goodnight," she whispered.

"Goodnight, Alya," Nino whispered back. The two began to distance their consciousness before realizing that neither Adrienne and Marinette and responded.

She was sure about an hour has passed since Alya and Nino had said their farewells, and yet she was wide awake. She curled her toes in tighter and snuggled by herself into the warm sleeping bag. She forced her eyelids shut and for a moment, she was gone until her voice pricked at her mind. _I should've kept quiet, she yelled at herself. It was Adrienne's moment and I got worried and I acted on survival mode._ She threw her entire body under her sleeping bag and gripped the edges like it was Thor's hammer. Until finally, she felt the heat of her face began to fade and she turned around.

 _1, 2, 3…. Maybe counting will help._ Marinette began the number line in her mind until she reached 30. _No_ _use_ , she thought. Instead, she accepted her insomnia and opened her eyes.

She expected darkness and the shadows of her classmates. She expected a small glint of either Adriens hair, or Alyas pink pajama shirt. Instead, she got floating green apples with dark worms crawling instead. She wondered for a second if she had actually fallen asleep and these floating apples were a part of her dream until they disappeared.

Then they reappeared. Except, when they reappeared, they scrunched up just a bit before letting out a raspy, "morning?"

After realizing that she was not dreaming, and instead the floating green apples were the eyeballs of Adrienne Agreste, she shook her head. Denying him his confusion.

He chuckled.

"So why are you awake?" His voice came out in cracks through the mouth hole of a beaten drunk.

"Probably the same reason as you are," Marinette answered. Her voice came out monotone and bored. She only felt the feathers gathering inside her legs and the rocks growing in her eyes. She sighed. My body and is tired but not my mind.

"I see," Adrienne murmured.

For about a minute, the two managed to sync their breathing and listened only to each others sighing, hoping it'll soothe them to sleep. On the contrary, the quiet filled Marinette with electricity, forcing her to squirm a bit closer to the blonde. Adrienne, however, grew anxious. The silence was threatening his sanity, forcing an adrenaline push at his heart and building up a climax for a potential sound that must come any minute now to break his spell bound curse or perhaps he'll never move because if he breaks it, will he break himself? He couldn't stand it.

"Marinette?" He relieved. He made sure the blue of her eyes were still visible, hoping not to wake her.

"Hm?" She replied.

"I can't sleep," He stated as if she couldn't tell already. _Nice job Sir Adrienne._

"I can't either," Marinette whispered. For some reason her answer allowed him more comfort. It was true, and it was expected. She didn't say "count sheep" or "wanna talk about it". And it gave him confidence.

"Is it just me, or is it getting chilly?" He wondered. He was in his winter pajamas and still had to cling the sleeping bag as close to him as possible.

"Yeah, I'm pretty cold to."

"Oh." _What should I say now?_ He thought. But it turns out, he didn't have to say anything because Marinette began to move. She stood up carefully, attempting not to drop her delicate head and ruin the dim silence. She slid her covers closer to Adrienne until she felt the ruffle of his bag against hers. Once reassured that she traveled her targeted distance, she reclined back onto her pillow and scooted a bit closer to Adrienne.

"I'm still pretty cold," Marinette muttered. Adrienne was officially awake before the rooster call. Before he knew what she was doing, she was already right next to him. Normally, he would've gotten scared and silently scooted away to not hurt her feelings. But God, he felt her victimized body shaking through her sleeping bag and his too. Not only this, but they were both the only two people still awake as a consequence of the same problems. One being, the cold. His whole body was tired but not his mind, so he can't blame exhaustion for unzipping both their bags and wrapping Marinette into his arms until her shivering began to decrease, and his goosebumps began to diminish. Marinettes forehead was touching his muscular collarbone and he felt the sharp chill of her forehead for the first while, but his goosebumps only came back when her arm curled around his torso and embracing his warmth.

Adrienne was at a complete lost for actions, let alone for words. Marinette was the last person he expected to make the first move in a situation like this. Therefore, she must've been extremely exhausted or sleepwalking in order to summon this much bravery. However, he was thankful because now he was not only warmer than before, but he was comforted even when she probably hadn't intended it this way. They both had a similar experience and they were both kept awake by it. So in a way, that experience was not just Adrienne's or Mari's, but both of theirs.

Adrienne pulled the bluenette closer until her breathing sent goosebumps back to his chest, but he ignored it. Instead, he curled his head until his nose was at the back of her hairline, and his mouth was at the tip of forehead.

"Goodnight, princess,"

"Goodnight, Agreste."


	5. Waking up

**Hey guys! So I've gotten back from music camp and what even? Instagram became snapchat and North Korea wants to fight us? And yet Pokemon Go is still trending... I would've updated longer except all my work got deleted... But forget about all that as I am finally updating! P.S Lack of audition music actually did me good as I got one of the top seats so whoop whoop!**

Nino was the first to awake. It was the sounds of his classmates shuffling feet across the frozen Louvre and forcing their sleeping bags into the side that startled Nino. He was startled once more when he realized that his three other roommates were also not awake. As he was stuffing away his sleeping bag, he felt his stomach rumble. Breakfast wouldn't be served for another hour, but scrambled eggs would not quiet the sound. He decided to be bold and wake Alya for Marinette's croissants.

As he etched closer to Alya, his knees rubbed into the shiny ground causing him to slide across and flopping onto the dead body of his girlfriend.

Alya woke up to the force of her boyfriends body being thrown onto her unconscious form.

"What are you doing, Nino?" She questioned him.

"Um, we need to wake up?" Nino suggested. Alya still looked completely terrified, but her morning mood slowly began to fade until Nino helped her up.

"Wake up Mari so we can have some of her dad's croissants," Alya told Nino.

Nino began to shake the bluenette when he noticed the blonde curls bouncing atop her head. Suddenly he remembered that Adrien was also not up. He looked around until he realized that the blonde was nowhere to be seen.

 _Wait, Marinette doesn't have blonde hair,_ Nino realized. Suddenly, Nino began to panic as Marinette and the potential Adrien stirred. _Where's Alya?_ He asked himself. _Nope, best not to have any false alarms this early._ As a result, he inhaled deeply and removed the top of sleeping bag that was covering Marinette's face.

"Alya!" Nino whispered madly. "Get over here, it's Marinette."

Filled with concern, Alya rushed over to view the object of Nino's concern and was instead confronted with a constant in Marinette's fantasies.

"Should we wake them up?" She asked.

Around them, the students were quickly packing away their sleeping bags and rushing to the bathrooms to dress before guests were let in.

"We have to," Nino said. But they weren't the one's that woke them up. Eventually, Marinette began to stir until she faced the ceiling. Sleep still dazed her conscience as she rubbed her drooping eyes and let out a baggy yawn. She decided that waking up wasn't important and retreated back to Adrien's nest. However, when the boys figure became noticeable, her body went into autopilot and threw her out of the sleeping bag.

"ahhhhh..." she moaned. _Um, what?_ She confusedly thought.

"Okay honey, wake up," Alya murmured to Marinette. She forced her off the ground, but was met with no luck. "Listen," Alya bent down to Marinettes eye level in order to express her disbelief and concern more accurately. "Why don't you and I go to the bathroom to wash up. Nino will wake Adrien up and together, they will clean up our area," Alya explained. Nino didn't like the sound of responsibility, but he knew that obeying Alya was the only way to hear both sides of the story.

He sighed in defeat and proceeded to shake Adrien as the girls walked away.

It didn't take long for the blond to awake. The problem was getting him out of his sleeping bag.

"Adrien, look," Nino began to explain. "Almost everybody here is already dressed except us two, we have to clean up after the four of us and we haven't even had breakfast yet. Not only that, but I'm gonna need details of every single thing that happened between you and Mari last night." In turn, Adrien stared glassy eyed at his breathless friend until the realization of what he said hit him. He stretched his arms out wide partnered with a freed yawn.

"Don't worry," he groaned. "I'm a fairly quick dresser and it's not like clearing up our area is like the Olympics. Whereas on what happened last night, I have no idea what you are talking about." Adrien admitted. He then got up and retreated to his night bag, and just when he was about to leave to the restroom, his mouth flew open.

"Oh," he admittedly dropped his bag and turned to face Nino. "I do know what you were talking about."

 **Sorry this was shorter than my last ones. I'm really exhausted from my travels. But I don't like keeping people waiting and I will update again!**


	6. Day 1

**Real quick: I want to thank a lot of you who commented on my typos in the earlier chapters about the misspelling of Adrien's name. Of course, I blame my phones auto correct. But thanks to you I** **wouldn't have noticed. Now with that being said, ONWARD!**

Marinette was in the bathroom wetting a rag and furiously rubbing it against her blushing cheeks. There were no showers so a rug would have to do. She sighed deeply and scrunched her eyes together as remembered every detail of her first night at the Louvre.

"I'm going to use the bathroom," said Alya. "By the time I'm out you should have emotionally prepared every detail for me."

"Jeez," groaned Marinette. "How am I ever going to recover from this one?"

"Don't worry, Marinette," came the tiny voice from Marinette's shirt pocket. "It's not like he shoved you away. Besides, you're becoming braver Marinette and it's working in your favor!" Tikki reassured Mari.

"Either way, I don't think I want to spend the morning with him just yet, Tikki," Marinette said. "I don't think I wanna talk about it with Alya either. I remember what happened but I don't think I want to understand it just yet." She joined Alya in the next stall and gave Tikki a cookie from her night bag.

"Marinette, are you getting dressed?"

"Yeah I am. I'm just in the next stall over."

"Oh, okay. I'll wait for you out here. The last girls left awhile ago so we can talk freely," suggested Alya. "So where do you want to start?" Marinette heard the stream of water and Alya's impatient face cleansing.

"I kind of don't want to talk about it just yet," admitted Mari. "Let's eat first."

"You cant hide forever, Mari," she said. "Adrien is speaking to my boyfriend right now." Marinette walked out of the stall and proceeded to walk out of the bathroom. Her face was fuming with embarrassment and frustration, distracting herself from her walk of shame back to her circle. Instead, her plan to retreat to her sleeping area was disrupted with a warm shove to the ground followed by a drugged "ow".

"Woah," she heard from the dirty ground. "Are you okay, Mari?" Marinette didn't care who she bumped into. She was more focused on retrieving all her dropped items until a hand offered them back.

"Sorry about that," Nathaniel said. Marinette accepted her toiletries and allowed Nathaniel to help her back up.

"Oh, good morning!" She greeted. "And it's fine. It was my fault anyways. I should've been paying attention," Marinette acknowledged.

"It's fine, Mari," he hesitated. "But are you okay?" Marinette looked up in confusion at the awkward redhead. "Well I'm just asking because I was waving at you but you seemed zoned out. Did you not sleep well?"

 _Obviously, that wasn't the problem,_ she thought. _In fact, its the total opposite._

"Hey, do you still have to clean up?" Nathaniel asked. 'If not, why don't we go walk for a bit? You seem like you need to take your mind off something."

"Don't worry, Marinette's all cleaned up for now" came a voice that shocked the both of them. "I can take your stuff and pack them for you, Mari," said Alya.

"Oh, thank's Alya. But I'll feel bad leaving just the three of you to clean up my mess," she worried.

"What mess?" Alya then pointed to a spotless area occupied by only four backpacks and two chatty boys.

"Well that changes things," Marinette muttered to herself. She liked Nathaniel, and maybe the walk would be good for her. However, she wasn't sure if this walk was just going to be an interrogation.

When Alya returned with two croissants, she ran back off to the boys with a wink at Marinette. The bluenette sighed, wondering why Alya was suddenly okay with her running off before telling her the details of last night. _Maybe Adrien and Nino will do that for me,_ she sighed.

"Well, should we be off then?" Asked Nathaniel.

"Off we go!" She added cheerfully, handing him a croissant. He thanked her with a red smile and opening the exit for her.


	7. Small Talk

"These croissants are really good," Nathaniel said, leading the way across the courtyard.

"Thanks! My dad made them though, not me," she replied.

Nathaniel laughed nervously. Truth is, he had no idea what the croissant tasted like, since he was having trouble keeping it down, instead of enjoying it's usual fluffiness like normal. That was the effect Marinette Dupein-Cheng had on him.

"How did you sleep last night?" Marinette asked. For some reason, the question caught him off guard, and forced him to look at her.

"Oh, just fine I think!" Nathaniel nearly shouted while still chewing. Instinctively, he covered his mouth and shot her an apologetic look. She laughed, and Nath had the same feeling as yesterday. _Already?_ He questioned the existence of his sensitivity.

He swallowed his last bite and gestured to an unoccupied bench, suggesting that they should sit. Marinette plopped down, and began to hug her knees.

"Sorry," she said. "But what time is it?"

"It's around 7:30, I think," replied Nathaniel. He was about to apologize heavily for leaving his watch behind. _If only I knew,_ he thought.

"Why are we up so early?" Marinette complained. "The museum doesn't open for another hour and a half."

"Something about us kids being too immature for mingling with the public during normal visitation hours," he joked without intention. Marinette admired his joke and left it alone with a stuttering chuckle. However, after her chuckle died, the air was filled with both of their natural tendencies to be awkward.

Nathaniel knew that he needed to find something to say quick, before she decided to leave. _But what is there to talk about,_ he wondered. But then he remembered that this was Marinette, and not Rose or Chloe.

"Hey, can I show you something?" Nathaniel suggested after a, hopefully, bright idea came to him. At first Marinette was confused, until he brought out his sketch pad. Then she nodded with a silent 'O', and scooted closer to him, granting her a lone glance.

"Look," Nathaniel gestured towards the many drawings in his sketchpad. He flipped the pages with delicacy, explaining each variation. Occasionally, he would divert her attention and use the distraction as a chance to quickly skim through several images. Marinette knew the game he was playing and respected it, since she always does that with her sketches.

"These are really great, Nath," Marinette commented after paying closer attention to his drawings. "When did you have the time to sleep, though?"

Nathaniel blushed as if he has revealed too much. "Well," he lowered his eyes. "I didn't, really, sleep," he answered back.

"Why not?"

"Well, nights are usually the best times to think," said Nath. He felt a bit awkward talking about his sleeping schedule, but Marinette nodded like she understood.

She couldn't argue with his reasoning. Often times, Marinette would experience an artist block the entire day, but just as she was finishing her homework during the late hour, she would be slammed with an outburst of creativity. Nights were usually the time's her favorite pieces were born from her room.

"So what got you into art, Nath?" She asked curiously, eager for a conversation starter.

"Um," Nathaniel stuttered. _Well, I don't really remember,_ he felt like saying. _When was the last time somebody has asked me that?_

"I'm not sure," he considered. "It just kind of happened while growing up. I've had a pencil with me for as long as I can remember. The only difference from then and now, is appreciation, I think?" He had always wanted to be open with her, but his passion for drawing was always a hard question. _It just came with the package,_ he always thought.

"I can see that," she replied. She continued biting into her croissant while Nathaniel wondered where her desire for nice clothes came from. He wanted to ask, but her morning mood somehow brought out her eyes more. _She is more quiet than usual,_ he realized. _I wonder if something really did happen yesterday, or if she's just not much of a morning person._

"What about you?" He timed his question to the moment she had her last bite.

"Let's see," she thought earnestly. "Well, when I was younger my mom used to dress me in traditional Chinese clothing," she said through a shaky voice. A breeze rushed passed her lips and his hair allowing them both a moment to shiver.

"Then?" He asked her to continue.

"Well, I used to really love them. My dad was always taking pictures of me," she laughed, remembering that one of her first memories was one of these times. "I never learned my mothers language, so she figured I might as well learn the traditions." She hugged herself whole, and looked up to meet Nathaniel's attentive eyes. She noticed that the shading of his eyes were almost a mix between Ladybugs and Adriens, but still withheld Nathaniels character. _Wait, that doesn't make sense. I_ _'m Ladybug,_ she thought. _Stop referring to yourself in third-person, Marinette!_

After chiding herself silently, she continued her story. "Anyways," she chattered. "I loved the clothing so much that I used to color in drawings with the same pattern as my outfits," suddenly a rosy red crept up her cheeks. "But then I started to notice how other people were dressing, and I guess I liked it just as much. Maybe too much," she stopped to let out a long awaited sneeze followed by a quiet bless you. "One day, I just grabbed a needle and followed some instructions my mother got me for my birthday and it just went from there," she finished. "Sorry, I'm talking too much."

"No, you're fine!" Rushed Nath. "It's a nice story. Every great artist needs one," he smiled. "Unfortunately, that's not my case," he added sadly.

"On the contrary," suddenly Marinette started to shiver and her next words were almost inaudible between the strong chattering of her teeth. "You do have a story. The fact that drawing was simply 'part of the package' is amazing. It shows how natural and right this job is for you," she stuttered. _Dear god, why is it so cold?_

She felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. Her head was down, until she felt a rustle against her shirt. She looked over and noticed that Nathaniel had his jacket off. She stared at him with refusal.

He laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not cold," _Liar._ "Take it," he insisted. "Unless it's not handmade enough for you," he smiled cheerfully at the shaken girl with blueing lips.

She felt she had no choice. With a quick, but grateful smile, she wrapped herself in his gray sweater, tightening the ends around her slim figure until she strangled the chill out of her.

Nathaniel willingly accepted the cold, but he only felt warmer the more Marinette seemed to be enjoying his sweater.

"Thanks, Nath," she said with a clearer voice than before. "I love this weather, yet I have almost no body tolerance for it."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I can see that."

Marinette was surprised when she felt herself genuinely laugh in sync with Nathaniel. In between the awkward chuckle, they met eyes and forced the awkwardness out of their lungs, until they settled into the comfort of each others company in the chilly morning.

"I have to admit, Nath," Mari said. At once, Marinette commanded the gingers attractive attention. "When you drew that comic last night, I haven't laughed harder than that in awhile. It kept me up awhile, just thinking about it," she admitted. "Look," she held up her phone and showed the peering Nathaniel her screensaver. As if on queue, she continued laughing at the sight of the drawing. "It used to be a picture of me and Alya getting ice cream with some other friends, but that was in the past." At that moment, she realized that the pride shining from Nathaniel was a rare phenomena for him. His glassy eyes were widening as he grasped her cellphone, and Marinette swore that he was about to cry tears of euphoria. But he laughed and reddened instead. But nothing can hide his huge smile, even if it no longer fit him. It was contagious and Marinette felt her lips sliding to her eyes, simply because of Nathaniel's pride. Either way, _Marinette, actually liked it,_ he thought.

"Hey Mari," he asked cautiously, not wanting to break the thin air of comfort between them or the mountain of confidence that Marinette gives him during moments like these. "Do you ever draw comics?" He asked, diverting his eyes to her pearl, calloused hands. _The hands of somebody who tests their limits,_ he admired. He shot her a chapped smile.

"I doodle sometimes, and I think I have drawing in the bag when it comes to fashion design," she stated. "But I never gave comics a shot."

"You should!" He courageously answered. "I mean, if you want to," he caught himself. "I feel like you would be good at them?" _Watch yourself, Nathaniel,_ he warned himself. _Don't drive her away now._

But Marinette was too confused to understand Nathaniels mental worry. "What makes you say that?" She wondered.

"You were the only one who laughed at my comic yesterday," he happily recalled. "Well, Adrien to," he added. When he said his name, Marinette felt her croissant spin with the blossoming monarchs in her stomach. Her face was not left out of the picture when she remembered what she attempted to forget. _No, not yet,_ she panicked. But Nathaniel didn't notice. Well, he attempted not to.

"It just seems to me that you have the right sense of humor and skills for the job," he finished. Marinette forced a laugh out of herself.

"I don't think so," she denied.

"I do. How about this?" Nathaniel opened his sketchpad to a new blank page and handed the very confused bluenette a pencil.

"Lets brainstorm," he demanded.

 _Well, he got confident quickly,_ Marinette thought.

"You and I are going to make a short comic book by the end of this trip." Nathaniels mouth was one step ahead of his brain. In fact even his eyes were, since they managed to align themselves perfectly with Marinettes perky pupils. Her increasing dilation forced him back to his original self.

"If you want to, I meant," he stuttered. He turned his face away, realizing that he may have demanded too much on accident. He reached out in an attempt to reclaim his pencil, after realizing that a fashion artist has no interest in comic books. But she wouldn't let go. He swore to himself that his hand was stuck. Because neither would he. He felt like rocks were being swallowed by his head. She looked up.

"Why not?" She shrugged. His heart raced.

She pulled back her hand and allowed his hand the grace to rub off. She asked, "May I?" in a quiet voice. Nath slowly nodded his head, unaware of the present. Instead, he watched the movement of her hands as they voyaged away, then came back from sea. She drew lines, circles, faces and dots. She wrote phrases, random words and then connected her chaos into humor. Nathaniel watched her claim his book as hers entirely, until she stopped.

"Nath?" Muttered the little girl. Her voice shocked the concentrated air surrounding the two. He took a moment to realize that his head was bowed near hers, and the distance between the two was limited. He felt her breath paint color onto his dying cheeks, until the intoxication looked back at her. Then he realized what the voice said.

"Yes?" _What did I do? What do I do?_

"Are you gonna help me?" She asked, "Aren't we going to do this together Nath," and she smiled at him. And he leaned backward, into his normal position.

"Of course!" Her smile forced his eyes forward. He gripped his own pencil and asked for permission. Once granted, he scribbled with her. He crossed out sketches and phrases with her. And they laughed. It was awhile before Marinette let go of the pencil, but she managed to let go of last night.

 _I got this,_ she laughed to herself.


End file.
